Padded sleeping device for posture correction



Nov. 11, 1952 P. J. STEINBERGER PADDED SLEEPING DEVICE FOR POSTURE CORRECTION Filed July 14, 1951 p 6 my h .n a 5 J Z w P ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1952 PADDED SLEEPING DEVICE FOR PQSTURE CORRECTION.

Banll. Steinberger, Columbus Ohio Application July 14, 1951, Serial No, 236,833

1 v Claim. (01. 128-78).

1. This invention relates to posture-maintaining and correcting appliances, having particular reference to an improved pad-provided appliance for use on the bodies of reclining persons, as those engaged in sleeping or resting on mattressequipped beds or the like, whereby to maintain mechanically the bodiesof-such persons against loss of position or posture as a, result of m attress-induced slumping of the body.

The object of the invention, is tq lfovide an appliance of this nature which may be Wornv by sleeping or reclining persons and so constructed as to provide improved bodily support. for those wearing the same, particularly in the. matter of maintaining the skeletal structure of the body in properly supported positions, even when various parts of the bod tend to sink into a mattress or other yieldable base, and thereby place undesired strain on other portions of the body or its skeletal structure.

In certain relatively mild physical, deformities, wherein the muscular or skeletal structure of the body is misshapen, under-developed, or otherwise abnormal, the corrective appliance of the present invention may be used whilesuch a person sleeps or reclines in bed. In other relatively normal individuals, because of strain, poor posture, shallow breathing, or fatigue, the padded sleeping appliances herein provided serve, to strengthen and correct physical weaknesses, providing sleeping comfort.

To these ends, the present invention consists in the provision of a garment or harness adapted to be Worn on thebody of a reclining person, the same being provided and equipped with shoulder, breast, abdomen, and buttocks ads of suitable size and shape to support the body in proper positions while the wearer when sleeping occupies a prone, downwardlyv facing position, or while sleeping on the back or one side or the other. These pads are sov arranged as to automatically adjust the body to its correct posture, having the following factors in mind: (1) the tendency of the heavier parts ofthe body (the. buttocks and shoulders) to sink rather deeply into the mattress; (2) the tendency of the'articulated parts of the body (the spine, ribs, and shoulders) to be lifted out of position while the heavier. parts are lowered; and (3) breathing, particularly taking cognizance of the fact that while it takes place normally under adverse circumstances, the same may be corrected and rendered more adequate if the chest were held expanded, instead of cramped by abdominal crowding or the rounding of the shoulders.

The presentinvention, further, aims toprovide a sleeping garment, or the like which may b readily worn by a." user with. the, same facility as a removable coat, in that it may be applied or removed with the same facility, and wherein the garment, onharnes's, if. desired, includes. appropriately located, body-supporting. pads which are so formed, and. arranged, as tomaintain correct, posture of. the user when "sleeping ona mattress or other yieldable support.

For a further, understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to'the' following description and the accompanyingdrawing.

In said drawing:f

Fig. 1 isa perspecitveview oia padded sleeping. garment formedjin. accordance with the present invention and: disclosing the. front thereof; i

Fig." 2, is, a rear elevational viewof said garment whenapplie d;

Fig. 3' is a. transverse sectional view taken along the line,3,'3"of Big. 2.;

Fig. 4, is av view 'in side elevation. of the. garmentwhenthesame amuse"; 1

Fig. 5 is a detail front elevational view dis.- closing. a, modified formofl the garment wherein the pads are rendered accessible by. the use'of sliding fasteners on the garment. pockets.

Referring, more particularly to the. drawings, thefgarment or, harness. 'l ofthe present. invention providesan'article so formed as to cover the trunk of ones body and, fit snugly'thereover. This is done in orderthat the garment willnot become twistedor out of, positiQnI'AIsQ, the garmentmay be worn withor. without'sleeves." Preferably, the garment i'sjinthe formiofa coat, such as that. of a; regular paj'am'a type. garment, orit may possessia vst-lik'efbr'rh, adaptedto be worn under ordinary night clothing. Itwill. be understood that the garment may not be. a full or completeone, butjin the form of a partialgarmerit, composed of a. webbing, harness or, strap arrangement providing 'pad holding pockets. in which are. insertedfpads 3...o'f. required size, shape, and yieldability;

The pads may. be. formed of any suitable soft or yieldable substance, a scel lular andnohe l a bb r rb tl r ti -us fibrous. ma ria custom r ly: eniblqyd; h QQII DQS tiORiof padsor cushions. The pads may be placed in the.

pockets, and held therein with buttons or slide fasteners, as indicated at 4 in Fig. 5, or the pads may be permanently united with the supporting garment, as by sewing, cementing, or other means. As shown in Fig. 3, the pads possess their maximum thickness in the centers thereof and taper to substantially a feather edge at their outer margins, so as to provide comfort. Preferably, the pads are arranged on the garment base in a manner providing a pair of shoulder or breast pads 5, a rearwardly located back pad 6, front and side abdomen-placed pads I, and one or more rearwardly placed buttocks pads 8. The garment base serves to effect secure support of these pads in their relatively spaced order so that the operative positions thereof are maintained despite movement of the wearer while resting or sleeping.

As previously indicated, the purpose of these pads is to automatically adjust the body of the wearer to its correct position when reclining, having the following factors in mind:

(1) The tendency of the heavier parts of the body (the buttocks and shoulders particularly) to sink rather deeply into a mattress.

(2) The tendency of the articulated parts of the body (spine, ribs and shoulders) to be lifted out of position while the heavier parts are lowered.

(3) To improve breathing, particularly by holding the chest expanded instead of being cramped by other parts of the body.

The construction of the garment or appliance provides pads or cushions so arranged as to maintain mechanically the body of the wearer in sleeping positions correctly accounting for these factors.

As stated, the pads may be of various sizes and shapes, depending upon their position on the body, the size of the individual wearing the same, the body correction sought, and the personal preferences of the wearer. In most cases, a physician will prescribe the type of pads and their positions, but the wearer, by experience, might alter the pads in various ways after use in order to secure enhanced comfort.

When sleeping on the back, the pad shown at 8 extends over the entire area of the buttocks and is deep enough, when compressed by the body, to permit the spine to join the buttocks at the proper angle best adapted for health and comfort. In other words, the pad 8 is allowed to sink into the mattress, as indicated in Fig. 4, the approximate distance the body requires the mattress to recede, giving the result which would be gained by sleeping on a firm unyielding mattress or base, as is sometimes prescribed for arthritic persons.

The shoulder pad 6 on the center of the back of the garment or harness retains the spine to be in longitudinal alignment and also will prevent rounding of the shoulders, inducing normal unrestricted breathing when the wearer sleeps on his back.

When the weare sleeps on his side, the abdominal pad 1, which is so formed as to extend around each side of the wearer supports the body at either side, so that the spinal structure will not arch in a downward direction at the small of the back as the result of the tendency of the hips and shoulders to tilt. The pad I might vary in thickness at the front and sides, depending upon the corpulence of the wearer. Usually it is rather thick for slender persons, while a corpulent person may require a comparatively light pad.

When sleeping face down, the pads on the up per front part of the garment, indicated at 5, serve to support the shoulders of the wearer, permitting the chest cavity to carry less body weight. The chest, therefore, remains deeper or enlarged because of this support, which tends to throw the shoulders back.

The pad on the abdomen, indicated at I, may be of a thickness to support the spine in a proper manner and position the diaphragm for proper breathing with the wearer lying face down. In the event the wearer occupying this sleeping position is quite thin, a rather thick pad is required because the small of the back arches when there is no support at the abdomen. The size, shape, position, and thickness of the pads will depend upon the size of the wearer and the corrective measures sought. The garment, or harness, may be strictly utilitarian, or may be a part of a regular sleeping garment. It may be buttoned or may be elastic, without closure, and a crotch strap 9 may be used to maintain the garment in proper position.

The device has the advantage of being simple to apply, and when the pads are properly adjusted for a given person, little or no difficulty is thereafter encountered in the use of the device. The latter may be kept in a cleanly condition by the fact that the pads may be removed from the garment pockets whenever the garment is to be cleansed. The construction of the garment is essentially simple, and the same may be produced at relatively low cost. The removability of the pads enables pads of various thickness, shape or size to be employed as desired.

I claim:

A padded sleeping device for posture correction of reclining persons, comprising: a bodyencircling garment having a front and a back, a pair of spaced breast-protecting pads mounted in spaced relation on the upper front part of said garment body; a single abdomen-protecting pad stationarily carried by and extending transversely across the front of the lower portion of said body beneath said breast pads; a single transversely extending buttock-supporting pad formed with the back of said garment and extending transversely thereof; and a single shoulder-supporting pad carried in the central upper back region of said body above said buttock pad, said abdomen and buttock pads extending around to the sides of the garment and terminating in contiguous and laterally offset relationship, said pads being engageable with the respective areas specified of the wearers body and being of such thickness as to compensate for bed mattress recession produced by the weight of the wearers body when in a reclining position on the mattress in maintaining normal posture of the wearer's body.

PAUL J. STEINBERGER.

Name Date Madden July 13, 1926 Number 

